A Review of the Top 5 Cheap Gaming Computers

We all know that gaming computers can be very expensive, but luckily it doesn't have to be that way. You can buy a cheap gaming computer with very good specs for as little as $649 that will cope with the most demanding of PC games (such as World of Warcraft and Starcraft) with ease. For a few more dollars, though still under $1000, you can enjoy a really high spec machine that is also 3D capable (alongside a 3D display and nVidia 3D Vision) so you can take your gaming into another dimension.

When it comes to gaming computers, one of the main aspects affecting price is which GPU or video card is installed. You definitely, without question want a gaming PC with a dedicated GPU if your budget will stretch and at the very least a Video Card from nVidia or Radeon that is not integrated into the motherboard.

Looking for a cheap gaming computer can be a bit troublesome for those who are not technically inclined but know they want a great gaming PC at a low price. So in putting together this article we've done all the hard work for you. We've been though hundreds of gaming computers specifications, prices, build quality and customer reviews to bring you the 5 best cheap gaming computers on the market.

Some gamers (and parents of gamers) do not know how to choose the best combination of computer parts for the games that they like. When choosing a cheap gaming computer package, you will have to keep in mind the following computer parts and their specifications.

• First and foremost is the graphics card. The graphics card determines how good your game will look visually and how fast it will run. In general it's the video card installed which determines how cheap or expensive your gaming computer will be.
• Second is the processor. The faster the processor, the faster your game will load and process information.
• Third is the computer memory. The computer memory helps with your game’s performance and in general the more memory the better.
• Fourth we have the hard drive capacity. The higher the capacity, the more games you can install in your machine.
• And lastly (a specification that is often ignored but is very important with gaming computers) is the fan. All that computer power creates a lot of heat and so a good fan is essential to prevent your components from over heating and burning out.

This article will help you choose between five of the cheapest gaming computer packages available.

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First on the list of cheap gaming computers is the CyberpowerPC Gamer Infinity 5100 Black Desktop PC. This computer has a 2.66GHz Intel Core Quad Q8400 Processor with an Intel G31 Chipset Motherboard. Intel is well known for their high performance and durable processors so you can expect nothing less from this computer.

The computer also contains a 4GB DDR2-800 Dual Channel Memory, great for memory hungry games like Starcraft II and World of Warcraft, and an Nvidia Geforce 9500GT Chipset 1GB PCI-E which is one of the cheapest graphics card out there, but is also extremely powerful. You can also install almost all of your favorite games with its huge 500GB SATA II 3.0G/bs 7200rm hard drive. The computer package includes a 24X DVDRW and runs on a Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit operating system.

Specs Overview

• Intel Quad Core Processor Q8400 2.66 Ghz CPU
• 4GB DDR2-800 Dual Channel Memory
• 500GB SATA II 3.0 Gb/s 7200rpm Hard Drive
• Nvidia Geforce 9500GT Chipset 1GB PCI-Express Graphics
• 24X DVDRW
• Coolermaster Elite 310 Gaming Case with 420W Power Supply
• Microsoft Windows 7 home Premium 64 Bit

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Second on the list is iBUYPOWER Gamer Power A557D3 FPS Gaming Desktop. It has an AMD Phenom II x4 965 Processor 3.4GHz, a bit faster than the CyberpowerPC so you can expect faster loading times when playing games.

The graphics card is an ATI Radeon HD5670 1GB. This graphics card can deliver decent frames per second on games like Starcraft 2(50 FPS) on a high setting. You can also expect a huge storage space because it has a 1TB Serial ATA-II hard disk. The computer also has a 4GB DDR3-1333 memory and runs on Windows 7 Home Premium operating system. A 24x optical drive, 700w PSU, mouse and a keyboard are included in the package.

Specs Overview

• AMD Phenom II x4 965 Processor 3.4GHz
• ATI Radeon HD5670 1GB
• Hard Disk Drive: 1TB Serial ATA-II
• RAM: 4 GB DDR3-1333
• Optical Drive: 24 x DL DVD+/-RW Drive
• PSU: 700W PSU
• Window 7 Home Premium

Third is theTitanium Gamer AMTI9025 Gaming Computer. The processor on this one is a 3.2GHz AMD Phenom II X4 955 Quad-Core. Slightly slower than the iBuypower Gamer Infinity but performance is still excellent. AMD is well known to provide excellent performance in video games.

It has an NVIDIA GeForce HD N450 GTS 1GB GDDR5 Video Card which is compatible with nVidia 3D Vision (woo hoo!), a 1TB hard drive and a 4 GB 1333MHz DDR3 Memory. The computer runs on Microsoft windows 7 Home Premium and includes the standard peripherals like the mouse and keyboard. As a bonus, they include OpenOffice suite. OpenOffice is compatible with most Microsoft Office documents.

Specs Overview

• Compatible with nVidia 3D Vision
• AMD Phenom II X4 945 Quad-Core (3.0GHz, 6MB L3 Cache, AM3)
• 4 GB 1333MHz DDR3 Memory (2x2GB Modules)
• 500GB Hard Drive (Serial ATA II, 3GB, 7200 RPM, 16M Cache)
• NVIDIA GeForce HD 450 GTS 1GB GDDR3 256-bit Video Card
• 22x DVD/CD-Writer combo drive (DVD±RW/CD-RW)
• Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Full Version CD 64 bit

Fourth is the Visionman Widow WGMI 1G4100 Gaming Computer. It has a 2.4 GHz Intel Dual Core E3200 CPU, not as fast as a Quad Core processor but still decent, and an NVIDIA GeForce GT210 512 mb graphics card. A 2GB high speed DDR2-800 memory and a Western Digital 500GB SATA-II hard drive are included.

The specs on this package are a little less than the other cheap gaming computers but this one is a lot cheaper and you are also buying a gaming PC from one of the premier makers of this type of computer - Visionman know what they're doing when it comes to gaming PC's. If you are buying within a restricted budget and are willing to sacrifice a touch of performance in your games, then go with this one. The Visionman Widow WGMI 1G4100 Gaming Computer also runs on Windows 7 Home Premium operating system.

Specs Overview

• Intel Dual Core E3200 2.4Ghz
• DVDRW,
• GeForce GT210 512MB, Gigabit, 585W,
• Windows 7 Home Premium.
• CPU: Intel Dual Core E3200 .
• RAM: 2GB High Speed DDR2-800 Memory (1x2GB).
• HardDrive: Western Digital 500GB SATA-II

Last on the list is the iBUYPOWER Gamer Extreme A959i FPS Gaming Desktop. This gaming desktop has really high end specs. The processor is Intel i5 760 2.8GHz Processor. Loading times will definitely be shorter with this processor.

The computer is also equipped with an NVIDIA GTX 460 video card which features 1GB dedicated memory for maximum graphics enhancement and is also compatible with nVidia's stunning 3D Vision Kit. And with a memory of 8GB DDR3-1333 you will not experience any slowdown or lags in the newest games released today. Games like StarCraft 2 runs smoothly on the highest settings rating at 63 frames per second. If you’re a hardcore gamer, then this is the package for you. The iBUYPOWER Gamer Extreme A959i comes with a mouse and keyboard and runs on Window 7 Home Premium operating system.

Specs Overview

• Compatible with nVidia 3D Vision
• Intel i5 760 2.8GHz Processor
• NVIDIA GTX 460 dedicated
• Hard Disk Drive: 1TB Serial ATA-II;
• Memory: 8GB DDR3-1333;
• Optical Drive: 24 x DL DVD+/-RW Drive;
• PSU: 700W PSU;
• Window 7 Home Premium:

All of the gaming computers featured here are cheap at under $1000 and will let you play the latest games on the market today. Choosing the right package for you depends on your personal preferences whether you like a larger hard drive or faster loading times and also how much you have to spend.

Among the five cheap gaming computer packages here, I would choose the iBUYPOWER Gamer Extreme A959i because I'm into 3D gaming and this set up will do that very well. It’s a little bit higher in price compared to the other packages but that's because it has the best/fastest video card. For me it's definitely worth every buck.

For those on a smaller budget, I would recommend the Titanium Gamer. It’s not the cheapest of the five but the price at around $700 it's a fantastic system with a top notch nVidia video card. It has some great specifications including it's 3D capability and offers an above average gaming experience.

Check out my Reviews of the Best Cheap Monitors